LA Local Spotlight | Bar Keeper, Silver Lake

If you have an affinity for cocktails, mixology, bar accouterments (new or vintage), and everything else that comes with having a good time entertaining yourself or others with the gift of adult beverages… then you are now here by required to make a trip to Bar Keeper in Silver Lake. About a month ago I was in the market for some at home “bar cart” items to surprise my Old Fashioned lovin’ significant other with for his birthday. I’d been scouring Amazon, One Kings Lane, Overstock, etc. and had no such luck finding the perfect items to express my love and cleverness. I finally whined in frustration to a friend something along the lines of, “why isn’t there a place in Los Angeles that sells cool bar spoons, round ice cube makers, and nice highballs?!” Her response: “… There is. I can’t believe you’ve never been to Bar Keeper.”

Bar Keeper was everything I hoped it would be and then some; it’s a truly one of a kind gem – one of those “only in Los Angeles” business that gives me one more reason to be grateful for my current whereabouts. This is the whiskey (among several other spirits) lover’s and true Los Angeles mixologist’s sanctuary; walk in to Bar Keeper and prepared to feel like a kid in a candy store, even if you’re not one for alcoholic refreshments its impossible to feel unimpressed. Bar Keeper has an entire wall stocked with unique distilled spirits, another wall of an incredible array of bitters, and tables with gadgets, tools, books, and an incredible assortment of glasswares; both new and vintage, separates and sets, varying in price from inexpensive to muy expensive. The icing on the Bar Keeper cake experience is the incredible staff ready and willing to help you discover something new, and let me tell you, they are surprisingly frank about what you should try – it’s like getting your horoscope read but better. My boyfriend made the happy/hilarious mistake of asking, “I usually drink Bulleit bourbon, do you have something better and something new I should try?”, to which the bar keeper responded with such a straight face that I actually let out a laugh, “anything is better than Bulleit.” To their credit, the bourbon he is now drinking in replace of Bulleit, Eagle Rare, he has now purchased an entire case of.

Bar Keeper seeks to promote the ritual of imbibing…“celebrating the old while dancing with the new.”

Don’t be surprised if you walk out in shock that you actually spent less than anticipated: gadgets, tools, glasses, and spirits in hand – I couldn’t believe I walked away with the most complete and perfect gift for around $50 (Eagle Rare included). Bar Keeper is the go-to hobby shop for the mixologists: self-proclaimed or publicly well known. Making quality products easily accessible for affordable prices is the name of the Bar Keeper game, it’s a quintessential and completely essential local LA small business worth supporting. Go spend some money and knowledge yoself!